Apartment Accent Wall Ideas: Simple and Stylish Ways to Transform Your Space

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By Daniela Klein

Updated: Mar 04, 2025

8 min read

Apartment accent wall
Photo: @spacesbytay

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    Staying in an apartment often poses a challenge of limited space impacting the interior of the indoor house; however, with the right design ideas and adequate information, there are unlimited decoration ideas. A home should not merely look like a habitat but a place reflecting your style and choices. All four walls of the room look dull and uninteresting when painted in the same color, but a coat of different paint on one wall or a wallpaper enhances the look of the room without much effort and investment. For these reasons, an accent wall  is preferred by those living in an apartment, small homes or even bigger houses.

    An accent wall makes one wall the focal point of the room, displaying the mood, color, and theme of other decor items in the room. If you believe in “less is more,” this is the simplest way to create a classy look, energize the space, and add depth. Whether you are looking for small apartment accent wall ideas or studio apartment accent wall ideas, we have got it all in this article. Have a look!

    Inspiring Apartment Accent Wall Ideas to Energize the Space

    There are umpteen accent wall ideas available in different budgets to enhance the look of the house, such as wallpaper, painting on the wall, reclaimed wood and many more. However, it’s important to consider the existing wall colour, the design of the furniture and other items placed in the room for a perfect contrast.

    DIY Removable Wallpaper

    DIY Removable Wallpaper
    Photo: @rockymountaindecals

    Staying in a studio apartment may make you feel low on personality. It’s time to gear up and add energy and positivity to your habitat with removable wallpaper, which is low on cost and a DIY idea. Living in a rental home requires a temporary setup, and what could be a better option than an easily removable wallpaper to accentuate the look of the house?

    Faux Shiplap

    Faux Shiplap
    Photo: @home_loving_

    Faux shiplap is a temporary and easily removable apartment accent wall idea to uplift the look of the room in a cost-effective manner.

    Peel and Stick Wallpaper

    Peel and Stick Wallpaper
    Photo: @muraliumwallpapers

    For rental apartments, removable and repositionable wallpaper is a smart way to add pattern and texture to the room. It reasonably adds a new life to the walls, impacting the visual appeal of the house.

    Board and Batten Idea to Style Up the Wall

    Board and Batten Wall
    Photo: @lonefoxhome

    This is indeed an affordable and easy-to-install option for small apartments. Once you end up with this DIY task, you will realize how much your walls needed it.

    Add Texture With Shim Wall

    Shim Wall
    Photo: @wallpanels.us

    Have you ever thought of introducing a hardware item, “shim” to the walls? It’s an affordable and easy choice to add texture and life to the dull wall, but it requires abundant patience to install it.

    Accentuate the Wall With Brushstroke

    Brushstroke Design wall
    Photo: @emilyziz

    Another exciting way to add color to the wall is brushstroke. Buy a paintbrush of various shapes and sizes and playfully paint the wall with a free hand in the color of your choice, or contrast it with other items, whichever way you want.

    Paint the Wall in a Geometric Pattern

    Geometric Shape Painted Wall
    Photo: @ophelia_interior_design

    Geometric pattern walls add visual interest to the light shade walls. You can DIY with an angled paint brush to create a modern pattern with clusters of lines with a free hand. If you want a fast brushstroke project, this is probably the best option for you.

    Corkboard Apartment Accent Wall

    Corkboard Apartment Accent Wall
    Photo: @michelebitter

    Corkboard is the best option for the home office to stick to a to-do list of work, important notes, and family trip photos to refresh your mind amid stressful targets to achieve. It is a viable option for the kitchen wall to hang a grocery list to buy or a recipe for a dish you plan to try. Apart from these uses, a corkboard is also a solution for external noise as it provides soundproofing.

    Terrazzo Accent Wall Inspired by Mid-century Era

    Terrazzo Accent Wall Inspired by Mid-century Era
    Photo: @stiles_tiles_with_style

    It’s a DIY project with stuff available at home. If you have contact paper left from the last project, get started on the thrilling work; cut colorful paper into a natural terrazzo look, but each piece should be different from the others for uniqueness. Paste the pieces for the terrazzo effect and see the difference.

    Use Reclaimed Wood

    Reclaimed Wood Wall
    Photo: @timberchic

    Create an accent wall using reclaimed wood for a traditional look for farmhouse-style homes or other homes. It looks fantastic on white walls.

    Break the Monotony With Herringbone Wall

     Herringbone Wall
    Photo: @design_by_moonlight

    Break the monotony of the neutral wall with small pieces of natural cedar in a chevron pattern in an unfinished look. If you want, paint it or stain it to go bold.

    Spotted Paint for Dalmatian Look

    Dalmatian Look
    Photo: @Dalmatian Look

    Create a bold pattern on the wall with a stencil and black paint to look like a pricey wallpaper. Another way to achieve the same style, though in a bit uneven way, is using a paint pen or small paintbrush.

    Mural Wall Art

    Mural Wall Art
    Photo: @moyasestraa_

    If you have an eye for detailing and a steady hand, DIY mural artwork on the wall is a cost-effective way to spruce up the look of the room with paint and a brush in an artistic way. Paint it in a mountain mural or other scenic mural . Hire a professional for a complicated design to fill the empty space.

    Wood Accent Wall (Scalloped)

    Wood Accent Wall
    Photo: @studio.lux.interiors

    Be your own master of art and get started. Make your own cardboard stencil and outline each piece with a marker on the wall. Now, hang small(quarter-inch) plywood panels using mountain tapes.

    A Simple Tic-tac-toe Game Accent Wall

    How about a board game on the wall? It’s a playful and interactive way to elevate your bedroom or living room wall of the apartment, especially for your kid's room.

    A Built-in Bookshelves

    Bookshelves Wall Design
    Photo: @modernshelving

    Create an accent wall with built-in bookshelves and add depth to the room. Paint the shelves in a dark shade to go bold. Display your prized possession of art collectibles and books on the shelf to let visitors know more about your personality.

    Abstract Wall Art

    Abstract Wall Art
    Photo: @geoffreyianwilsonart

    Add a contemporary look to the wall with this DIY project. Make sure you choose the color that goes well with the base color of the room.

    Wood Slat Accent Wall for a Scandinavian Feel

    Wood Slat Wall
    Photo: @modern_slats

    Add a Scandinavian look to the living room of your small apartment with wood slats. Natural wood slats also add warmth and make the uninteresting neutral space more inviting for guests.

    Hand Painted Arch Accent Wall

    arched accent wall
    Photo: @neumuriwallpapers

    An arched accent wall painted by hand is the simplest way to uplift the look of the room with minimal investment of time and energy. It gives a boho look, adding an instant focal point to the wall.

    Matte Black Wall Accent

    Matte Black Wall
    Photo: @deltafaucet

    Paint the front of the fireplace with a matte black color to create a classic ambiance. To fill the empty space above the fireplace, hang a multi-color painting for a bright and lively atmosphere.

    Metallic Tape Accent Wall

    Metallic Tape Accent Wall
    Photo: @wepitchinteriors

    You can create an accent wall by merely sticking the metallic tape in any pattern you want to extend a minimal impact.

    Accent Wall With Removable Wall Tiles

    Removable Wall Tiles
    Photo: @tempaper_designs

    These removable tiles are best for rental homes as you can remove them and carry them to the next house to accentuate the look of the new home.

    Fabric Wall Accent

    Fabric Wall
    Photo: @fabric_wall

    One of the most affordable and smooth ways of accenting walls is to attach the fabric to the wall using starch—a simple and beautiful option.

    Accent Wall With Painted Brick

    Wall With Painted Brick
    Photo: @HeavenGables

    Create an accent wall by painting the natural brick with color complementing other items in the room. It will add organic texture.

    Industrial Accent Wall

     concrete accent wall
    Photo: @decco.trinidad

    Bring in a concrete effect on the accent wall, extending an industrial look with faux concrete wallpaper. The concrete accent wall will become the anchor of the room.

    Corrugated Accent Wall

    Corrugated Accent Wall
    Photo: @accentartcreators

    Though corrugated metal is ideally used for roofs, bringing it to the wall of the living room looks equally good with its rustic look.

    Conclusion

    An accent wall is an exciting way to add warmth and energy to any space, be it neutral or bright, big or small. However, bringing the accent wall idea into a compact space is a challenge, but with the perfect idea, any space can be transformed into a sanctuary. You will get multiple ideas for your home in this article. Go bold and creative and let the world know about your choices and personality.

    FAQs

    Which Wall in a Living Room Should Be Used as the Accent Wall?

    The fireplace wall or the wall behind the couch should be the accent wall. It also depends on the layout of the room.

    Can Accent Walls Make a Room Look Bigger?

    Yes, if the accent wall is painted with a dark color, it will make the room appear bigger.

    What Are the Cons of Accent Walls?

    If the accent wall has a strong impact, it may dominate over the rest of the decor items. You may also get bored of bold color accent walls in a neutral space.

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